Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and US private equity firm Silver Lake Partners are reportedly in talks to acquire Unity Software, according to Reuters. Unity is valued as high as $25 billion, up from its current public price of $21.5 billion.
Silver Lake already owns 8% of Unity and is said to be negotiating terms as the company evaluates options. The reported acquisition would follow Saudi Arabia's $55 billion purchase of Electronic Arts, in which Silver Lake also participated.
Unity ranks as the second-most popular game-development engine after Epic's Unreal Engine. The software powers games including Hollow Knight, Among Us, and Genshin Impact. Beyond gaming, Unity serves car designers, filmmakers, and architects.
The acquisition rumors boosted Unity's share price nearly 15% after Reuters published the report. The deal follows years of turbulence for Unity, including a 2023 plan to charge developers based on game installs that sparked backlash. John Riccitiello stepped down as Unity president and CEO in the aftermath.